The Dark Side of Gensokyo
by Cssz
Summary: A Touhou fanboy finds a mysterious item one day that brings him to a land sealed away by magic, a land he had long known. Though things are not as he thought they were...
1. Prologue

It was just another ordinary day for me in college. Everything was going on as usual; boring studies, boring teachers, boring people, boring ol' life. Oh how I'd missed my days back in high school, where I had real friends to share my interests with, without getting laughed at and ostracised for being a 'freak'.

Ever since my first day in college, I'd been deemed a 'weirdo' and a 'lolicon' for being interested in this series of Japanese shooting games known as Touhou, where the main cast are mostly little girls. Ever since the first friend I had made found out about my little hobby, I'd been made fun of by everyone else. For months, I've been continuing my college life, trying to focus on my studies, albeit unsuccessfully, because I had no real friends and had to complete assignments all alone.

And that day, as usual, class ended and everybody left early, leaving me behind. I gave out a sigh and began packing my notebooks and utensils back into my sling bag. Looking around the empty classroom, I stood up and sighed once again, before leaving the class and headed straight for home. I don't really have anywhere else to hang out after class anyway, nor do I actually have anyone to hang out with.

My walks home are often quiet and lonesome. Not very seldom would I sometimes sob silently when I think back of how different I was here and how I'd regretted coming here in the first place. But that day, something felt different. Without realizing it, I'd stopped walking for a moment to look up at the shop lots that stretched across the streets. A quick glance around made my eyes land on a peculiar shop that I do not recall ever passing by in the past. Curiosity got the better of me when I decided to enter the shop for a change of pace.

I opened the door, followed by a ring on the bell in the shop's front door. The mood in the surroundings changed almost instantaneously, from the bright, sunny day outside to a dark and gloomy place inside. The shop seemed empty, with rows upon rows of shelves. With a closer inspection, I could see old, dusty books, amulets, dolls and vases, though no sign of life anywhere. I walked around the shop and for some unexplainable reason, a dusty, old handheld mirror caught my eye and I began to approach it. I picked it up and inspected it. At the top part of the mirror, just above the glass, was a carving of an eye with spirals around it. Small wavy patterns were also engraved by the edges of the mirror. I brought the mirror closer to my face and blew the dust off of it, and then I began to feel the carvings around the mirror with my fingertips. Such fine handiwork…

"Ah, a customer I see," a sudden, hoarse voice said from the darkness.

My shock almost made me drop the mirror I held in my hands but I managed to grab hold of it nonetheless. I turned behind, only to be faced with an old lady with almost thousands of wrinkles on her face; the bags under her eyes looked so heavy it was as if they were dropping down onto her cheeks. It would be impolite of me if I'd commented on her looks, so I decided to just fake a smile and leave. However, before I could place the mirror back onto the shelf, she spoke to me.

"Ah, I see you have a keen eye, young boy," she said as I could taste her putrid breath in my mouth. Her mouth was empty with only some infected gums and several decayed teeth hanging loosely from them. "Among all the antiques we sell, this is among our most prized possessions. It's been sitting here for ages with nobody to buy it, collecting dust throughout the ages. You look like you're really interested in it, boy. You can have it for free..."

Unknowingly, I grabbed the mirror and placed it into my bag, before thanking the woman and leaving the store. Right at the door I heard a cackling laughter, followed by an eerie silence. Not long after I was already at home, showering in the bathroom. Strangely, it felt as if nothing had happened and that it was all just a daydream I had as I was walking home.

As I left the showers I walked into my lazy cousin, the one person who was kind enough to let me rent her ex-boyfriend's filthy room after she had kicked him out.

"Hey, how long has the antique store in the corner of the shop lots been opened? I don't recall ever passing by one before," I suddenly asked out of curiosity.

"What antique store?" she replied with a yawn as she walked into the bathroom, leaving me in a state of shock. Immediately, I rushed over to my sling bag that I had left on the couch and began taking every single item out. However, all I could find were my writing utensils and books.

Maybe it was just my imagination after all, I told myself as I began to calm down and walked up the stairs, into my room. Small as it may be, I find it convenient enough to place a study desk in it with my computer on it too. I sat down by my computer and switched it on. Right as I reached the log-on screen, I could see it... at the corner of my eye... at the edge of my desk... the dark, purple mirror that I had brought home...

I gulped and brought my face closer to it. Little did I know my choice then and there would change my life forever...


	2. Lost In A Labyrinth of Knowledge

Several times did I blink my eyes, yet the illusion I was seeing right before them never seemed to go away. In fact, was it even my imagination in the first place? Well, it has to be! I mean, I _am_ in my room; where else _would_ I be, right? I'm sure I'm just imagining things… but then again…

Endless rows of neatly-aligned shelves filled with books lined what I had thought was my room just a moment ago; all arranged in an orderly manner. Finding it hard to believe, I approached the shelves and glanced through the never-ending books; some dusty and old like ancient tomes while others untouched and fairly new.

Where am I, actually? I asked myself. Never before have I come across a place with books in quantities as infinite as this; not one library I have ever been was as big as this.

There was a sepulchral silence in the room that I have never thought possible before, so much that it started to feel really eerie. And then slowly and softly, the sound of dragging feet caught my attention. I closed my eyes and listened as I knew keeping them open would be pointless if the end of this huge library was not even within my line of sight.

Slowly and gradually, the sound grew louder, followed by slow but heavy panting. I could feel a presence coming closer by the second...

The sound stopped as I watched in horror; an old lady -looking old enough to be my great grandmother- came into view and looked right at me. Her body was thin- no, _emaciated_. Her face was pale as snow, as if she had been sick for ages, and her hair was a slight, faded violet, all untidy and unkempt. All she had on was an old, torn and dirty pair of purple pajamas. Her back was as hunched as the hunchback of Notre Dame.

Slowly, the lady shuffled her way towards me...

"Uhh- err- I- uhh..." I began stammering as the woman looked right into my eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm lost, can you help me?" I finally blurted out but was ignored.

The old lady squinted her eyes and reached out to my face. My eyes filled with pure terror when I thought she had gotten me. I felt relieved when she did not grab me as I thought she would. Instead, she was only trying to reach out for a book on the shelf behind me. I let out a sigh of relief.

I decided to look around a little bit more as the woman shuffled her way back, into the distance and out of my sight. I realised how many different types of books can be found here in all sorts of languages, ranging from old literature such as Shakespearean classics, to cooking books, to even what had seemed like books about witchcraft and sorcery. I could not believe my eyes, what I could easily find on the bookshelves.

But then I told myself that was enough. I had to find my way back home, no matter how impressive that place was. Yet I had no clue where to start...

"Ma'am?" I called out to the lady. "Is anybody else in here?" I asked but was promptly ignored.

I searched everywhere, high and low, past every bookshelf, one by one, for even the slightest hint of life, but to no avail. I fell to my knees and began to weep endlessly in the dark, mute library. I thought about going back home. I wanted the comfort of my own room, the warmth of my own bed. I may have hated my life back at home but no matter how you look at it, nobody would feel comfortable knowing they are in a foreign place. I kept questioning myself how I got there but my mind was a total blank.

I could only remember entering my own room. And then I switched on my computer. Nothing out of the ordinary there. But that was the last thing I could remember. Everything else was a blank... Hold on, the mirror!

Yes, I vaguely recall finding a strange mirror in an antique store. Yes… and I recall looking into it before winding up here. But even so, that was the last thing I can pull out from my head. Perhaps... could it be that mirror that had brought me here? Or was it all just a coincidence and all of this was just merely a dream?

Yeah, a dream… most probably... Yeah, that's right. I'll just have to pinch myself to wake up, right? Well, I tried… several times even. To be honest, it hurt every time. But if this _were_ a dream, why would it hurt?

I could feel my throat dry up and fear seeping into every last bone in my body. Everything felt so real. Deep inside, I knew -yet I tried my best to deny it- that I was still in reality...

Not long after, I heard the door creak open somewhere as it echoed throughout the endless library. A mysterious and elegant voice followed the sound of the large doors…

"Lady Patchouli, I brought you t-"

"Shh! Silence in the library! No food and drinks allowed!" said another voice, this one rough and dry.

"Pardon me, then. I'll just leave it out here..."

The door closes as even more questions began arising in my head...

Where am I exactly? How did I wind up here? Who was that? Did she just call a name that I'd found familiar? Am I still imagining things? Am I… where I _think _I am?...

I don't know at all. Though the one thing I am sure of, this is only just the beginning...


	3. The Mistress and the Maid

"Get a hold of yourself!" I muttered to myself. I have got to get out of here no matter what. I have to do whatever it takes to return to my own home! But... but...

Sigh. What's the use of all this confidence? There's just no point anymore. I might as well just give up right here, right now. It's not like I'll ever be missed by anyone. My cousin can live even without me paying my rent; she can easily find a random person by the streets who is looking for a cheap place to stay. My friends, or rather, _acquaintances_ at college will just pass it off as the resident weirdo giving up and leaving. My parents would probably be giving all their attention and love to my younger sister at home to even realise I am gone.

Yeah, maybe I should just perish here-

Wait! What am I thinking? Weak and unwanted as I am, I still have goals unachieved. I still have decades of my life ahead of me and I am not going to just give it all up.

Gathering every last bit of strength and self esteem I had left, I pushed myself to my feet. I looked around the shelves- it wouldn't make a difference, would it? Seems all of them look exactly the same as one another. My only way out is to use my head for once: where did the voice come from a moment ago?

I paused and gave it a thought, before commencing my search...

...

I don't know how long had passed, but eventually, after what had seemed like an eternity of wandering around, I finally managed to find my way upon a door. A door leading out of here... An olden, western-styled door that stood almost three times taller than me...

With a gulp to clear my throat, I anxiously pushed the door open with both hands as it let out a loud and long creak. A heavy aroma blew me out of my senses. It was like nothing I have ever smelled before! On the desk by my right, just a few feet away from the library's entrance, sat a tray with an empty cup, turned over and placed conveniently beside a pot of fresh, warm tea. How pleasant it tasted; even through smelling it alone, I could already imagine its luxurious taste on my tongue... And then it hit me...

If I was not mistaken when I heard that voice mentioned 'leaving tea out here', then does that mean I really _did_ hear that voice talking to-... Well... If I was in an endless library just a moment ago, with the only person in there a woman in purple-coloured pajamas... can I possibly be..._ there_?

Looking around once again, I scanned my surroundings. I was still in a place unknown to me, in a seemingly-endless hallway, filled with doors; each one probably leading to a room as vast as the library. I dare not open even one, thinking back how long it took me to exit the previous one.

I walked along the hallway; the old, wooden-planked floor creaked at every step I took. Soon, I came upon some voices coming from what seems to be the end of the hallway...

"Yes, it will be ready soon, Milady..." a familiar voice spoke whilst I hid behind the walls, peeking and shamelessly eavesdropping. I knew it would be rude and awkward to just barge in and exclaim, 'I am lost, please help me'. Rather, I was scared stiff anyway, with so much happening to me all at once...

One of the two had her back facing me. Her hair was neat and tied into two braids at the end, one on each side; the rest kept combed and neat, shoulder-lengthed; much unlike the lady in the library. On the top of her head was a maid's headdress. What's more, her hair was a shimmering silver! "Milady, is Lady Patchouli going to be alright? She has caged herself in there for months now an-"

"Now, now. She's always been like that. She's the kind who pursues knowledge to the ends of time, putting it before every other more important things in life... such as her own health... Just leave her be, if you know what's good..."

"Yes, Milady. I apologise for questioning," said the first voice as she turned to face the other. "Dinner is ready, Milady..."

And to my horror, what she held in her hands was no sweet delicious serving of various cakes, nor was it a scrumptious, mouth-watering dish. No, my thoughts were wrong; far from the truth, actually. Instead, her hands held a tray consisting of a bloodied human arm, sliced thinly around the bones, and a bowl of red liquids by its side. From the sight alone, I covered my mouth and fell to my knees, causing a loud thud on the floor.

"Did you hear that, Sakuya?"

The two turned, looking directly at me!

I could see it clearly now. Of the two women, one was the aforementioned one, the maid between the two, whilst the other was none other than the mistress of the house. I could not believe my eyes, as I knew exactly who they were...

Sakuya Izayoi, the head maid; the one with the silverish hair in the maid outfit. A controller of time, an expert at the art of knives, said to be an ex-hunter. Beside her, on the couch, was the 'Scarlet Devil' -as she takes the alias of- Remilia Scarlet, a vampire in the form of a prepubescent child, a manipulator of fate, the mistress and rightful owner of this mansion: the Scarlet Devil Mansion...

A part of me was excited to actually meet these two in the flesh. Another part tells me to run and pray, as I know I am now faced with my own demise...


	4. Descend Into The Darkness

"There is nothing to worry about, Milady. I am sure it was just another wandering spirit..."

The young vampire blew a sigh. "Annoying little creatures, aren't they? Oh how I hate them..."

I watched in dismay as the pair returned to their prior positions, completely disregarding my existence. Did they really not see me? Should I feel relieved, then? I myself do not know what had just happened, still staring at the two. Just then, the Scarlet Devil began to show her true colours -the very reason they called her by that name in the first place- as she proceeded with her humble dinner...

My eyes widened in disgust as I could feel I was at the verge of throwing up. The child vampire was indeed a messy eater, so much that she was nicknamed after her blood-stained dress after her meals. Her maid was carrying out her duties well; cleaning up after her mistress once the latter had left the table. I really do wonder how she managed to cope with her all these years…

"Oh right," said the vampire as she paused at the doorway; to be more precise, right _beside_ me. "Sakuya, I almost forgot about her. Can you bring the usual for her? Yeah, those leftovers would do fine..."

Both the ladies walked right past me without even noticing my presence. My eyes then caught Sakuya, holding onto a plastic bag, though I could not make out its contents.

Wait… Remilia mentioned a '_her'_, did she not? I had a really bad feeling I know where they are going. I knew how dangerous it was, I knew I shouldn't follow them, I knew how it would end if I did...

…

Yet my curiosity had brought me here, sneaking behind both of them like a stalker trailing his prey. It was dark, creating a great difficulty when following them from afar. I had nothing else to rely on besides my ears. Slowly and silently, I trailed the two, down the spiraling staircase; everything getting darker as we descended until we reached the point of pitch black and then beyond...

*Knock*

"Sorry to intrude, Young Mistress. We brought you dinner..."

Even in the dark, I could easily recognise her charming voice; the maid of the mansion, that is. Her voice was followed by the sound of rattling keys, slowly inserted into a lock and the sound of a click. The same cycle of sounds repeated several times before I could finally hear a loud click and a creaking not unlike the opening of the library's, signifying the unlocked basement door. A light glow emanated from within the now unlocked basement. Faint glows of red, blue, green and yellow dimly lit the room.

"S… Sa… Saku…" a weak voice said in a seemingly whispering manner. "Is… is…"

"Yes, Young Mistress. I am here…" replied the silver-haired maid as she reached out into the plastic bag, only to be stopped by Remilia.

"Just leave it here for her, Sakuya."

"Yes, Milady…" the maid replied obediently as she dropped the bag onto the cold, hard floor.

"S… sister… you're… here?" the weak voice said, this time directed to the Scarlet Devil. This confirmed what I had thought before. I know who this voice belonged to…

"Let's leave, Sakuya!" said Remilia.

"But, Milady-"

"Sis… ter…" the weak voice continued.

"Sakuya, let me say it one more time: let's leave!" Remilia insisted.

Hidden in the darkness by the bottom of the stairs, I could see the two -Remilia and Sakuya- leaving the room.

"Sakuya," the vampire called out to her. A loud smack was heard as it began reverberated in the spiraling staircase. "Need I tell you what that was for?"

The maid put her hand over her cheek and shook her head.

"And I thought I taught you well," the vampire said. "I'll remind you just one more time. You're just a maid under this roof, no more than a measly little dog. You have no right to talk back to your master. You don't deserve to even THINK; neither does that piece of locked-up filth! You hear?"

The maid kept her head down the whole time, not daring to speak a single word. The vampire then slowly approached her, wrapping her arms around the maid in an embrace.

"Sakuya…" she said softly.

The maid's eyes then bulged out as she began coughing out blood, clutching onto her chest and falling on her knees; blood trickling down from her mouth, down her chin. Puddles of crimson blood formed on the floor around her.

"Hmm, what if you were fated to die right here, right now? From an unknown heart disease that pumps blood right to your mouth? Even the impossible can become possible with just a little tweak. Just like how that useless pile of rubbish can become 'a cool vampire like Big Sister!' with a little bit of help from you to stop her from aging. I gave her _everything_ she ever wanted. She wanted to live with me forever, so I stopped her aging process; she asked for wings like mine, so I _made_ her a pair of her own; she wanted to be safe from the dangers of the outside world, so I gave her a safe place to stay where she could stay out of harm's way! Yet she still whines and weeps down here every single day! What more does she want from me! I have done and given her everything I could, what more can she ask for? Which is why she is no more than a piece of unwanted junk, a total waste of my time!"

The coughing finally stopped -as suddenly as it began- and the maid collapsed, lying in a puddle of blood in a fetal position.

"Now clean up this mess! I'm going back upstairs," the vampire quickly left the scene, leaving behind Sakuya; her dress stained red by her own blood, eyes wide open and slight twitches once in a while from the pain.

All that had been happening was just so shocking to me, so much that I did not notice the putrid stench from inside the previously-locked room...

"Sa...ku…ya…" a faint voice said from within it.

"Sa...ku…ya…" it repeated once again; slowly the odour grew worse and more horrid.

"Sa...ku…ya...?"

And finally, she emerged. The darkness was dispelled by the glow of her wings; rather, a pair of iron rods forcefully shoved onto her back with jewelry of several colours hanging from each one. The dried blood still stained her bare back, her body reeking of a horrible odour, as if she had not been in a bath for years. Her legs trembled with every step, thin as they are.

To be honest, it was my first time ever seeing a girl's naked body and I must say it is no pleasant experience, not one bit.

Her blonde hair was in a mess; her teeth still dripping fresh red blood from her meal; a mutilated limb she was still carrying in her hands, dragging it along on the floor, leaving a trail of blood from inside the room.

Yes, this girl is none other than the Scarlet Devil's very own sister, a vampire who had been locked in the basement of this mansion for approximately five hundred years. She had great physical strength, so much that she herself cannot control. Bestowed upon her was a gift; a power that allowed her to destroy anything and everything, just by grabbing it by its 'eye', or its core, and simply crushing it. That was her... Flandre Scarlet...

At least, that's what she was _supposed_ to be…

What I see before me now is just a young girl who had suffered from an eternal abuse by her sister. A supposedly elegant vampire mistress -as I have thought- turns out to be an overly-arrogant spoiled brat- no, a complete monster! The perfect and elegant maid of Gensokyo that I have known turns out to be but a puppet for the vampire, mistreated like a pawn that could be discarded at any time.

And then there's her… a weak, suffering little girl who has been tormented by the only person she trusted and probably knew -aside from Sakuya. From what I can understand from their conversation, she is no vampire like from what I was told, but merely a normal girl. She was not insane in any way, just immature as she had never stepped foot into the outside world. Caged by her sister like a trapped bird, she could only live facing the four walls in her room. I see no reason to actually fear her, only to sympathize with her and I just cannot help but feel sorry for her.

"Sa...kuya…" she said again, crouching down beside the maid. "Sa...ku…ya?"

The girl sat down. She retrieved the dismembered limb and brought it back up to her face, slowly sinking her teeth into it. Oh the horror of watching such a disgusting act…

Just then, she stopped and looked up. Her nose moved several times as she sniffed the air.

"This... smell... More... food...?"

Her head slowly turned to her right. Her eyes locked onto mine as she dropped the limb. Her smile grew wider every second. My body could not move like I told it to as it just froze there in the corner, shaking like a leaf. I could feel fear sipping into my body...

I don't want to die... I don't want to die... no, not yet... please...


	5. All Just A Dream

Silence...

Darkness...

I felt weak and dizzy somehow, as if the whole room was spinning, on and on, like an endless merry-go-round. There was a throbbing pain in my head, as sharp as a needle. What happened, exactly?

Wait, yeah, that's right...

I had a really strange dream last night. I'd even call it a nightmare, actually. Just another one of those dreams I get about my favourite series. Definitely nothing to worry about. Though come to think of it, last night, everything felt so different, nothing like ever before... The girls were completely different, nowhere near what I usually dream of. I mean, their personalities were just way off!

They say dreams are a gateway to one's mind and inner conscious, so I really have to wonder; how did such thoughts even occur to me in the first place?

No, it's not just that, actually. I think the real strange thing about it was that- it's that... it all just felt so real... so impossibly real...

And so I slowly got up, still slightly trembling. I awoke upon the screen of my monitor, still on the log-on screen. Perhaps I was just too tired last night and fell asleep before I could do anything else.

With that possibility in mind, I yawned once, stretched my arms and legs and turned to face the clock...

'04:00AM'

I still have a few more hours before class starts, so I guess I can rest a little bit more- No, I NEED to get some more rest. Maybe it was the awkward position in which I had fallen asleep.

And before I knew it, I was back asleep; this time, on my soft, warm bed, in a much more comfortable position...

* * *

><p>After a good night's rest, I got up, quickly packed up and prepared everything I needed for class and left the house with my sling bag, just as I would on any other day. I paid no heed to the strange dream I had the night before; I'm sure it will not happen again.<p>

And thus began another horrifyingly boring day in class, though this is what is to be considered an ordinary day for me.

More often than not, I would hear groups of friends whispering in class and chatting about various topics, ranging from discussions regarding the lecture itself to completely unrelated subjects such as party invitations. Many times in the past I have actually tried to approach them after classes when I had the chance. I've always wanted to get acquainted, yet I shall always be haunted and humiliated by my inability to socialise properly, resulting in having them further distance themselves from me. Ever since high school, I have only been among the same circle of friends with whom I have spent time since our years as mere kids; hence how they always seem to understand me and see through my mistakes to know what I was really trying to say. Most of my other time would be spent sitting in front of my computer, so I have never really talked to anyone else much outside my own small circle of friends.

However, my friends were different from me; they had much greater goals than I do, much greater knowledge than I can ever dream to have, and far greater skills in a community than myself. I am really just a nobody who will never be able to leave this shell. Hard as I tried, there is no way I can ever survive the harshness of this world. It's actually a miracle I even managed to enter college!

Thinking back, though; the times that I could have spent trying to improve myself and fix my weaknesses, I had wasted locking myself in my room, playing games and surfing the net.

I guess I just don't deserve to be anything particularly special...

...

And so as usual, class ended rather uninterestingly. Just another day of plain listening and jotting down some notes. I then left the class, crossing the busy hallways with a much lighter mood in stark contrast to the dull monotone in class. Voices were everywhere; how great it felt to have 'a life' as they called it.

All I can do is rant; go on and on about my weaknesses and point out how dull my life is. I can only complain about my desire to fit in, or at least find happiness in any other way. I miss my days in high school where I was considered one of the 'cooler' kids and my passion for a certain series of shooters need not be kept a secret. There was actually something I was good at; something people could look up to me for. But now, I'm just one of those who will never excel in their life; those deemed the hopeless in society; those trapped in their past, forever unable to step forward.

I decided to head for the washroom, wanting to look myself in the eyes and boost my confidence just enough to go on. Yeah, I do that sometimes.

However, this time felt different...

I felt a chill down my spine as I looked at my own reflection. I felt a strange tingling and it was as if my hand began to move by itself, slowly, reaching into my sling bag. From it, I grabbed what felt like a great familiarity. My fingers slowly moved about as I stood in horror, realising what my hand had just grabbed...

I unveiled to myself a mirror. Not just any mirror, but the mirror I had found in my dream; the oh-so realistic dream I had had...

It's all coming back to me now. Except it was no dream. None of it was. It really did happen... everything...

Last night, it all happened before me. I could act as skeptical as I want, but I cannot avoid the truth.

My heart began racing, skipping a beat every once in a while. Time slowed and distorted around me. I couldn't move my eyes off of the glass; an empty gaze reflected upon it, onto my own. I felt the walls that surround me begin melting like candle wax and soon, after a few blinks, everything was gone...

What was once the men's washroom has now become a dark, grass-filled land. All around me, I see trees, trees and more trees...

And now here I am, once again; back in the lost land I have always longed to be. Though it is no paradise as I had once believed it to be, at least from what I had experienced recently.

The true horrors of Gensokyo and its inhabitants... What more shall await me here? What more could happen to ruin my perspective of a mystical land that was once sealed away by magic?

Plenty...


	6. Forest of Darkness

The forest around me was quiet, though not silent. The chirpings of the crickets was what kept me at ease. It was not much, but at least I knew I was not all alone in the forest. The trees were old and huge; most of them look almost exactly alike, making it very difficult to navigate myself through recognition of the place.

The darkness all around; the old, creepy trees; the dim, moonlit night; it all adds to the eeriness of the place, much like the setting right out of a horror movie. For a coward like me, it should be normal if I were to suddenly cry and wish to be in my own bed, wrapped in a warm blanket. However, surprisingly, I didn't. Instead I was curious; curious of the world before me...

True, from what little I have seen of Gensokyo, it is not a place I can call home but I would actually love to find out more about it. Ever since I first stumbled upon Touhou, what had kept my interest in it for so long was not really the game itself. Instead, I've always been interested in the girls, not in a perverted way, but their backgrounds and personalities. I've always loved to explore and discover more about them, which was what had kept me on the Internet most of the time.

It may be strange that I'm feeling this way, but I actually find it a very interesting place here. I never was an outdoor person, nor will I ever be, so a place like this will never be a nice place to be. I do wish to stay here just a bit longer and find out a little bit more.

Though first things first; how did I get out the last time? From what I believe, it was that mysterious mirror I had brought home which brought me here, so I am guessing it will be my only way out as well. If only I can find out how to do so consciously, I might even be able to visit Gensokyo any time I want!

I can't believe it, but my heart was pounding in my chest like it has never done before. I am actually _excited_ about this, for some reason. Have I really changed so much all in the span of a single day?

As my mind wandered off, thinking of all the possibilities if I could freely utilise the mirror that had brought me here, my legs wandered off as well, bringing me deeper and deeper into the forest. In the end, I was in a place where the air was heavier than before. The trees were much denser and the light was much fainter than before.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of cracking. As soon as I got my mind off of thinking, I was lost. The darkness obscured my vision to the point where the dim moonlight was all I could use as a guide. The cracking got louder gradually and with a little focus, I began to hear a slight moan and some slow and heavy breathing in the distance.

Curious and naïve, I slowly took cautious steps deeper into the forest. The dense forest grew thicker with every step; I could make out the voice of a young girl through the soft rustling grass as I moved closer and closer. Step by step I took, slowly and silently, as I made sure to stay undetected. Cold sweat began to trickle down my face as I was filled with anxiety and what was presumably fear. A fear of what would be lurking in the darkness ahead.

A single step was all it took for all visible light to vanish without a trace...

All I took was another step, just one step away from where I had stood, yet the difference was just all too sudden. As far as my eyes could see, there was but pitch black. However, looking down, I realised I could still easily perceive myself as if I were in broad daylight. Everything else? Not so much. In fact, I could not even see the ground beneath my feet. It felt like an empty space, a vacuum; a void...

The soft echoes of a young girl resounded in my ears. She sounded exhausted, desperate; pleading for help. The voice of a female child calling for help in whispers, echoing all around with no escape from it. There seemed to be no true source of it, but the entire forest itself. There was then heavy sobbing as well, also in echoes.

My heart was racing and thus, without any guidance, I fled. My legs were trembling, yet I managed to carry myself away. But no matter how hard I tried, no matter how far I ran, the voice continued on in moans and deep, heavy breaths, as did the unending cries.

"Please... stop..."

There was no escape. Hard as I tried, none of my efforts seemed to be anywhere far from futile. My feet began to slow down as my uncontrollable shaking began to take over. Yet, with all I could, I tried to move on, to find a way out... until my hand landed upon something rough and woody. I watched in shock as a tree appeared before my very eyes, out of thin air!

With a gasp, I lifted my hand off the bark of the tree, watching, astonished as it faded out of sight once more. I moved my palm towards it once again and yet again, the tree appeared within my perception, as clearly as I would see it in the day.

"Please... no more..." said the same voice in a faint whisper, followed by another crack and was heard no more. I sat there in the darkness, in absolute silence; my head rested against the bark of a tree, the only other thing I could see besides myself.

After what felt like hours -though I realised upon checking on my wristwatch that it had only been mere minutes- I got back on my feet and began walking again, albeit aimlessly. My heart beat faster and my breathing grew heavier; my footsteps quickened as the dark void grew on my nerves. My curiosity just not too long ago had quickly changed to regret and despair.

Soon, my slow, cautious steps became a flight of terror as my mind had driven me mad; image after image of what might just be lurking in the darkness popping out in my mind. At first, I pictured some wild and dangerous animals roaming about but soon it became monstrous creatures; each image growing worse than the last. As my imagination ran wild, I began to see monsters of grotesque forms; horned with mouths filled with razor-sharp teeth, ready to pounce on a helpless prey lost in the darkness. Every thought became a nightmare, until one not-so terrifying one reached me…

My feet came to a complete halt as the picture became clear to me. Though it was not of a creature as horrifying as the ones I had previously imagined, my heart skipped a beat. My feet lost balance as one tripped over something.

When I hit the ground, I felt a cold chill running down my spine as a girl appeared before me, seated on the ground. The very girl I had pictured in my mind that I feared so much. She was almost exactly as I had imagined; blonde, shoulder-length hair tied up in a red ribbon, crimson eyes, a simple -but torn and tattered- dress that seemed fitting for one in the appearance of a child. The only difference, however, was the red that had smeared across her face, dripping from her chin and from the back of her hands as she held in her grasps a long, pink object covered in blood.

It did not take me long to recognise what it was though; a human intestine freshly dragged across the ground a foot or so away from the body, still partially intact. My eyes slowly shifted down and then it came into view...

What I had tripped over was no rock or a part of the forest in that matter. No. Lying in a pool of blood; the body of a rather young-looking girl. _That's_ what I had tripped over.

I thought I have seen the worst back at the mansion; what with the maid and her preparations for her mistress' dinner and all. I recalled the scene most vividly; like how a single drop of blood quickly turned into a stream down onto the metal plate underneath as the blade easily sunk into the flesh of the arm; how the limb was sliced oh-so thinly, resembling pork ham.

However, I never thought I'd ever see -with my own two eyes- a sight as gruesome as that again, yet this feels much, _much_ worse...

The body laid face-up; its limbs bent in such ways that I had never even thought possible. Its chest was ripped open down to its stomach, revealing its broken ribcage -which had been forcefully pried open- and, to my horror, its still-beating heart!

My body could not stop shivering as a strange freezing cold seemed to seep through my bones. I could not avert my eyes from watching the girl's actions. In fact, I was just so stunned I couldn't move a muscle. I guess this is what you can call true terror.

"Don't worry," the girl spoke. "As long as I don't crush her heart, she'll live and eventually be back to normal soon."

My eyes widened as the girl finished feasting upon the entire stomach; from her stomach itself to the poor victim's small intestines. The inside's of its body was almost entirely eaten. Everything removed clean from its body, save its heart and lungs. It was all so clear right in front of me.

I forced my eyes away, until they met the little blonde monster, who was licking and sucking every last drop of blood from her finger, all whilst smiling like a little child. A literal example of the expression "finger-licking good".

Her smile quickly turned into a sinister grin, seemingly cutting her face from ear to ear. She said in a rather child-like tone, "Let's play some more! You're next..."


End file.
